by Sacha Strebe, Online Content Manager at Informa Exhibitions
1. Mother Nature at work
From frosted almond to champagne beige, if Pantone 2015 Home Colour trend palettes are anything to go by, your kitchen will be awash with more neutral tones in the coming year. Get ready for off-white, gray and taupe with accents of purple for a look that’s polished and easy to live with.
2. Look out overhead
Rangehoods, they’re a practical necessity in every kitchen but due to their size can be rather unsightly. After years of trying to find innovative ways of hiding them, stylish versions have entered the market and many are now making them a big feature of the kitchen. From the black sleek versions to oversized traditional designs in copper or brass tones, the rangehood is shaking off its daggy connotations and embracing modernity.
3. Smooth operator
People crave more natural aesthetics away from technology. This has resulted in smooth edges replacing the sharp corners, for a softer look on benches and corner cupboards. No more banging into corners with an `ouch’ or getting your pinky toe stuck on the edge of a cabinet anymore. Round edges not only look comforting, they’re also incredibly practical.
4. Pour favor
Who would have thought that something as common as concrete would become such a stylish feature of people’s most prized room? While concrete benchtops have been trending for some time, expect them to really hit mainstream next year. There are so many reasons for the explosion in popularity. Apart from their cool industrial feel, they’re practical hard surface means they don’t scratch, age or chip; they are relatively cheap to install, just pour in the mould and set (you can choose to coat it with gloss for a smooth look and feel); add texture to your kitchen with a porous look instead of the smooth hard surface; you can even get coloured concrete benches. Convinced yet?
